Dead Space 2: Angel or Demon
by Nevara Alyss
Summary: <html><head></head>The Sprawl is laid to waste by a seemingly recurring nightmare.  Isaac has barely enough time to fight his own demons.  Will the woman from before save him from himself? Sequel to Dead Space: Cast In Shadows.  M for Language, Violence, Sexual Content.</html>
1. Prologue

**EA and Visceral own all characters and locations. I'm just playing with their toys.**

**Disclaimer: There is some Non-Con, but do not fret! There is plenty from the original story to follow along. Enjoy!**

If I had told you that I died one fateful night three years ago, you wouldn't believe me. Hell, I barely believe it myself. I did though, strangely enough by my own hand and what came of it is far from what I expected. In this case the ends justified the means. You might ask if I died then why am I here. It's hard to explain really.

What happened to me still remains a mystery. I was on the Ishimura. I was there the day the necromorphs came through and destroyed everything that I was. So in essence my death brought about a rebirth if you will. Mercer talked about it, but I don't think this is what he meant by the next step in human evolution. If only I could have shown him what happened and laughed in his fucking face before I killed him. I would feel justified in his execution. But no, it didn't happen that way, I died in the arms of a man on the floor of a shuttle. I still remember his voice and the tears that fell.

The way he violently shook with pain. The same pain that was imparted on me not so long ago. Nicole was just the type of the iceberg. There was no way I could have known that this was the master plan all along. We got fucked royally. Which isn't a shock; given the fact that it was Nicole who led me directly here now. But her destruction of Isaac made no sense.

* * *

><p>"Damn it, Ondrea!" Isaac pleaded incessantly. His voice grew shriller each time he said it. "You can't do this to me!" He sobbed and held me close. "This isn't how you save someone." I heard him for hours beg for me to open my eyes. "I didn't save anyone. I didn't deserve this." He hacked and choked and laid me back down. "You stupid bitch how was this supposed to keep me alive?"<p>

He paced and screamed and punched the walls of the cabin. He cackled and sat down next to me. He caressed my face and his head fell back against the wall.

Slowly I drifted off into a long sleep only to be awoken by multiple sets of footsteps.

"Grab him and sedate him." A male voice ordered. "EarthGov wants him taken alive."

"No, no, no." Isaac yelped. "You can't take me. Get away from me."

"Sir, what about the woman?" A second male voice asked.

"Don't you fucking touch her!" Isaac wailed. "Leave her alone!"

There was a long pause followed by "put her in containment."

I felt my body being lifted and carried away. I could hear Isaac screaming insanely and trying to fight off the people there for him.

They laid me on a cold slab and slammed the door. I sat up and looked around. I was not alone in there. Two other bodies were laid out. I jumped off the table and walked to the door and started pounding. Within fifteen minutes a man opened the door and was taken aback by the fact that I was there.

"How did you get in here?" He asked.

"I don't know. Someone locked me in." I answered. "Could I get out of here? I need to get back to work."

The man hesitated and when I thought he wasn't going to oblige me he nodded and let me through.

"Be more careful." He calls to me as I walk down the hall.

"I will and thanks." I responded with a smile and a wave.

I walked down to the observation deck and sat. I watched the stars twinkle and started humming that morose tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star".

"Are you new here?" A woman asked. I looked at her and a sick grin spreads across my face.

"You could say that." I remarked half-joking. I looked her over and sighed. "It's been a long trip."

The woman smiled and sat down. "I hear that. So what are you doing once you get to the Sprawl?"

I cocked my head and shrugged. "I haven't thought that far ahead. Probably look for a new job."

"Oh really?" The woman questioned. "What are your talents?"

"Why?" I asked becoming suspicious of her motives.

"Well-" The woman started.

"I'll humor you." I snorted. "I have PhDs in Computer and Mechanical Engineering, and Quantum Physics and a BS in Psychology."

"Really?" The woman gasped. "That's slightly unexpected." The woman started digging through her pockets and pulled out a card. "Here. Take this and give me a call once you get there."

I looked at the card and smiled. "You work for EarthGov?"

She nodded and looked at her watch with a frown. "Well I have to go. Contact me ASAP."

"Will do." I responded. I laughed to myself at the irony of it all.

_Dad would have been so proud. He'd finally gotten his wish._

Within a couple of days I had found out that Isaac was in cold storage and that they had picked up some other survivors who had responded to the ship. They were sent to investigate and got more than they bargained for. I could have told them not to go._ Fucking idiots_.

* * *

><p>My physical body never died, oddly enough; but who I was died that night. I am Ondrea Markum and I saved Isaac Clarke from the pits of hell aboard the USG Ishimura. What I did to him was far worse than what I could have imagined. I betrayed him in the end. I damned him. I broke my promise. I failed him.<p>

There are no words for what I did or didn't do. I am not proud of any of it. I work for the enemy now. I sold my soul again to keep him safe. If only he knew… well, maybe it's for the best that he doesn't. Not now anyways.

_Forgive me, Isaac. Maybe this time around I'll get it right._


	2. Desperate and Broken

"Mommy, when do I get to see you?" The small voice over the screen asks. She smiles and waits for her answer.

"Soon, honey." I respond. "You and Lisa will be coming here in a couple of days."

The little girl beams from ear to ear at the information. Her piercing black eyes stare back at me with elation. "Okay, Mommy."

"You actually got approved for some vacation time?" Lisa asks me. She looks less than amused. "EarthGov is being rather generous."

"These eighty hour weeks are starting to pay off finally." I retort as I light a cigarette. "We might have come up with a breakthrough."

"Well that's good." Lisa answers with a half-smile. She sighs and shakes her head for a minute.

"What?" I ask. "What's wrong?" I take a drag off of my cigarette.

"There's been a lot going on here, Ondrea." Lisa states. Her tone is one of stress and frustration. "Michaela is asking about her dad and Mark and I don't know what to tell her."

I stand there at a loss. _What do you tell a small child?_ "It's hard to explain." I tell her with a frown.

"Mommy! Mommy!" Michaela calls from off-screen. She jumps into Lisa's lap and leans in. "You know what?"

I smile at her. "What is it, baby?"

"I love you!" She sings at the top of her lungs.

"I love you, too." I sing back to her. "What time is it back on Earth, Lisa?"

"Eight-Thirty." Lisa answers. "Guess what that means, Michaela."

The toddler frowns and sighs. "But I want to talk to Mommy more." She whines.

"Baby girl, you have to get to bed. The sooner you do that, the sooner you can get to me, alright?" I tell her.

"Alright, Mommy." She sulks. She blows a kiss and I reciprocate with a smile and a wave. She hops off Lisa's laugh and toddles away.

"I'll be in to sing you your song." Lisa tells her. Michaela's answer comes back muffled and Lisa chuckles and shakes her head. "You take care of yourself, Ondrea."

"I will, Lisa." I answer back. "I'll see you in a couple of days. Keep my girl safe."

"Don't I always?" Lisa snorts. The link goes off and I sigh. The small apartment is eerily quiet. Drawings from Michaela litter the walls. Smiling finger painted masterpieces stare back at me in Technicolor. I walk over to the picture window and stare out at the rings of Saturn.

"Three years." I mutter to myself.

A long three years to be precise. My life has changed drastically since the Ishimura. I have come to terms with what I have become. What I am, on the other hand, I am unsure of. The two year old that glows with excitement every time she sees me is the only saving grace that I have.

Did I pass on whatever taint I have on to her? I hope not. I shudder to think about it. That precious girl doesn't deserve this. This is my cross to bear.

I flop down on the bed and bury my face in my pillow.

* * *

><p>"Ondrea, you're analysis is wrong." My associate remarks as we walk down the hallway. "Stross is loony as a bat, to be sure, but he's further along than Clarke is." He opens the door to the medlab and I walk in.<p>

"How is Isaac, anyways? Are his memories coming back?" I ask rounding a desk and plopping in a chair.

"They're slowly returning." He answers and takes his seat across the desk from me. "Tiedemann is getting antsy about the slow progress. Clarke was in contact with the Marker far longer than Stross but he seems more resistant."

"Oh, well, Tiedemann's always got a stick up his ass about something. That's nothing new." I scoff with a smile. I prop my feet up on my desk and sigh. "How's married life going, Alex?"

"Oh fine, fine. The ball and chain already has me shackled to the house once I get home." He chortles. I shake my head and look at the picture of Michaela on my desk. Alex leans over and looks at the rosy cheeked child grinning with spaghetti sauce on it. "How is she doing?"

"She's good. Lisa and she are supposed to be arriving in a couple days." I explain. I open the drawer to my desk and take a cigarette out. "I've got a lot of explaining to do once she gets here."

Alex sighs and leans back in his chair. His eyes narrow on me as I take a drag off of my cigarette. "What's going on?"

"It's nothing really." I remark, my voice gets lower and I put my feet down on the floor. "She's asking questions. That's all."

"Heh, like what? Where babies come from?" Alex jokes.

I walk over to a monitor hanging on a wall and look up patient files. "She's asking about her father."

"Oh." Alex blurts out softly. "She is at that age." He gets up and joins me at the screen. "She's a smart girl, Ondrea. She'll understand."

"You know, I really don't know if she will. Not about this." I grumble. I press a button and the screen turns off. "Hell, I don't even understand it all either." I walk back to the door and open it. Alex gives me a confused look and shrugs.

"You'll figure it out. You're a smart girl too." Alex states as he puts his hand on my shoulder.

"Before you go, Alex." I start. He turns and looks at me with a questioning look. "If Isaac is becoming resistant, up his treatment. He's going back in the machine tomorrow."

"I'll let the technicians know." He answers and heads back to the elevator.

I walk out of my office and head down a flight of stairs. My sneakers squeak loudly as I turn the corner and make it to the landing. Sliding my key card to get authorization to the door, I hear the screams of patients on the other side. The door clicks open and I walk in. The area is dark. The only light emanating from the small windows in the patients' doors was blaringly white.

The orderly at the desk hands me a tablet of medical charts. "How are things down here?" I snort. I briefly scan them and place it on the desk.

"Quieter than usual, Doctor Markum. Stross has been the worst by far." The orderly states and sits back down. "Clarke is heavily sedated at this point. He just underwent an interview this morning. So he's still kind of out of it."

"Thank you." I say with a smile. I peer in to the rooms one by one checking on the patients. Most were asleep others were huddled in corners crying and panicking. I look in the door to Stross's cell and am greeted by the paranoid eyes of Stoss staring back at me.

"You need to let me out!" He yelps as he bangs on the door. "Tell them that I'm sorry."

"Doctor Stross, calm down." I say to him.

"No. No. No. You don't understand." He babbles.

"I do understand. I understand completely." I murmur and look back at him.

He stares at me and his eyes fill with fear. "No, you can't. I won't let you. They wouldn't let you. This isn't right. How are you-?"

I smile faintly and continue on to the last door at the end of the hallway. I slide my pass card and push open the door.

"Well, Isaac." I sigh. "How are you doing?" Isaac rolls his head around and stares at me. His eyes blank as his mind swims in narcotics. "That bad, huh?" His head falls forward and a small string of drool falls from his lips. "I'm sorry I had to do this to you. I can hardly imagine what you are going through." He looks up at me and grunts.

"Who?" Isaac asks with a slurred voice.

"Shhh. Isaac." I coo softly. "Rest."

"You." He stammers. "You." His tone becomes more irritated and he starts to struggle. "You d-d-d-."

"Orderly!" I call out. "This patient needs to be sedated again."

"N-N-No" Isaac stutters. "On-On-"

Before he can get out the words an orderly runs past me with a syringe and injects the insane man. The fight quickly leaves him and he falls asleep.

"That's the third time this week that this happened." The orderly states. "I'm sorry, Doctor."

"Don't worry about it." I smirk. "That'll be all." The man nods and walks out of the room, leaving me alone with Isaac again. His breathing soft in his dreamless state. "I'll make this up to you, Isaac." I whisper softly in his ear. "I don't know how. But I'll find a way to do it."

* * *

><p>I sit at my terminal finalizing daily reports. Reading about how Isaac is starting to remember Nicole turns my stomach in knots. I shake violently in my chair and my concentration is broken by the door opening up.<p>

"Doctor Markum." Tiedemann's voice barks loudly. I glance up at him and say nothing. I raise my eyebrow to acknowledge him and go back to reading over the reports. "Doctor Markum." He barks louder. He slams his fists on the desk and stares.

"What?" I ask without taking my eyes off of the screen.

"We need to talk." He states. "Now."

"Can it wait?" I question as I stop reading and look at him.

"Doctor Markum, you attitude is unacceptable." He bellows. "This is a government agency; you should be acting like a professional."

I lean back in my chair and smile. "We aren't going to argue about my wardrobe again are we, Hans?" I kick my feet up on to my desk and sigh.

"No, we're not." Tiedemann answered. "I want to talk to you about your report."

"What about it?" I scoff. "I thought it was very feasible."

Tiedemann shakes his head and closes his eyes. He smacks my feet off of the desk and leans in real close to me. "Your analysis on the psychological effects of the Marker is incorrect. It's indeterminate as to how long a person needs to be in proximity to it before lasting effects take place."

"Bullshit, Hans." I argue. "Take a look at the men down in psych right now." I twist my hair up and clip it back. I stand up and round the desk and stare him down. "Isaac spent a couple of days near it and Stross only had a shard before things went to shit with his crew. You tell me if the fucking thing doesn't have lasting effects."

"Your request on security procedures in handling the Marker research is denied, Ondrea." He states.

"Damn it, Tiedemann you have no idea what that damn thing can do." I exclaim.

"And you do?" He shoots back.

"I-" I shake my head.

"Stross and Clarke are going to continue doing what they are doing." Tiedemann states firmly.

"Well that's just fucking great." I remark with a roll of the eyes. "You know this is going to fuck you in the end."

Tiedemann shrugs. "Maybe, maybe not. But that's not your concern." He turns and walks out the door. I sigh and start back towards my seat to finish . "Ondrea." I glare at him with contempt. He reaches into his pocket and throws something on the desk.

"What is it?" I ask. I look at the tiny drive questioningly.

"It's docking orders." He says. "CEC is bringing in the Ishimura for refabricating."

My mouth drops open and I shudder. "That's not possible. The Ishimura was supposed to be retired after Aegis VII."

"It doesn't matter." Tiedemann remarks. "CEC wants a full investigation and we got first dibs on it given what we are researching."

I look back down at the drive and sigh. "What do you need from me?"

"You and Doctor Grant are going to do a core dump and our techs are going to decipher the information from there. If you can, bring back a specimen for study." Tiedemann orders.

"Do you realize what this means?" I stammer.

"I do. This might give us insight into the transformation process that takes place from human to necromorph." Tiedemann smiles.

"This is a mistake." I mutter. "That fucking ship should be destroyed."

"That's not our decision." Tiedemann snaps. "You have your orders. You'll be meeting up with some CEC engineers at 0400. You should get home and sleep. You have a long day ahead of you." He chuckles and leaves the room.

"Oh, fuck." I utter. I slip the drive into my jacket pocket and stretch. "More like a repeat of the longest day of my life. Thank you, asshole."


	3. Lost in the Daydream

"Ondrea, are you there?" I hear through the door. The violent drumming and banging stirs me from my slumber. I open my eyes and am greeted to the darkness of my living room. I sit up and groan at the intrusion and glance at the clock on the wall-0030. "Damn it, Ondrea!" Alex's voice yells. I grab my robe and slip into it as the knocking becomes more insistent.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming." I grumble loudly. I unlock the door and Alex comes bursting through. The smell of cheap whiskey tails him as he walks passed. I stare at him in irritation and shut the door. "What's wrong?" I ask trying to maintain my cool. "Why aren't you at home? We have to be on our way to the Ishimura in two hours."

Alex runs his fingers through his hair and turns to me. "It's Alisson." He loosens the knot on his tie and flops on the couch. "She's pissed that I have to work on my day off." I lean against the door and watch Alex's abnormally twitchy nature tick off. He wrings his hands and looks up at me. "You and I both know that we don't have much choice in it, but Ali is insistent that it's some excuse that I've cooked up."

"To do what?" I ask. "She can't know, she's doesn't have the right clearance to know in the first place. She should have realized that when she hooked up with you." I sit down beside Alex and frown. "You both knew going into this that there was going to be secrets between you." Alex nods in agreement and leans back letting his head hit the back of the couch. He stares at the ceiling and starts chuckling. His vibrations softly rattle the couch softly. "What's so funny?" I ask questioningly.

His amusement slowly comes to a stop and he wipes a small tear from his eye. "She thinks that I'm having an affair with you. Can you believe it? Me with you?" He laughs again and grabs his sides.

I sit in silence and watch the scene of Alex's madness let loose. "Then what are you doing here? Aren't you fueling her paranoia?" I point out. I get up from the couch and walk into the kitchen. "You should be home explaining to your wife, like you should have when you first started dating, that this job requires awkward hours and really no breaks." I turn the faucet on at the sink and start to fill a small glass of water.

* * *

><p>Firm hands grab my waist and startle me. I drop the glass in the sink shattering it into pieces. "It's only paranoia if it isn't happening." Alex's slurred whisper hits my ear. He reaches around and starts to untie my robe and I grab his hands to stop him. "What my wife doesn't know won't kill her will it?" His words hiss hot and aroused. "How long has it been for you, Ondrea?" He questions as he slowly slides his hand into the opening. I groan as his hand caresses my breast over my camisole. "You haven't thought about it at all? What would it be like to have me inside of you?"<p>

My hand slips away from his and he continues to untie me uninterrupted. I nod slowly as he disrobes me and drops it to the floor. He turns me around and sets me on the counter my eyes meeting his as he yanks at my panties with voracious fervor. Tearing the silky fabric with nary a care he looks at me and smiles. He kisses my neck as he unzips his pants and steps out of them. I shudder as he pulls my top off exposing my breasts to the outside air and the hidden jewel pressed into my belly. He looks down at me and groans as he leans in and wraps his arms around me. I feel his member hard and rigid on the inside of my thigh as he hoists me up and carries me to my bed.

He lays me down and starts to slide in when a hunger that I hadn't felt in a long time takes over and I flip him onto his back. He approvingly groans as I slide down as his shaft. Rocking my hips back and forth I ride him hard. He grunts violently as he grabs my breasts and pinches my nipples between his fingers. My head falls back in ecstasy as I climax around him. He grabs my hips to pick up speed and warmth hits me all over. Small beads of sweat form on my skin and I glisten in the reflective light of Saturn's glow.

He gets up on his hands and lunges forward flipping me onto my back. His hips crash into mine as his rapid thrusts become ravenous. "You have no idea how long I've thought about doing this." He growls. He slides out of me and kisses his way to the tuft of hair between my legs. He laps hungrily and I arch my back inviting to penetrate me with each gasp. He rises and flips me over onto my stomach and pulls my hips up to present myself for insertion.

He accepts violently causing me to wince slightly as he starts throbbing in me. He grabs my hair in his fist and his thrusts become longer strokes with each pass he takes. "I'm-" I cry out as I slam my hips into his and he groans as he explodes into me; each explosion like a stick of dynamite detonating.

My eyes slam shut in pleasure. Slowly I feel a hot wetness slide between my fingers. I open my eyes to see what it is and the dark fluid glistened brightly back at me. More of the mysterious liquid falls faster and I feel around to find the source. My hands scour my body rapidly and I reach my neck and feel it. The large gash that goes across it bleeds forcefully. I look at the mirror and stare in horror. Staring back at me is Isaac. His hands are covered in blood. In his left one he holds a scalpel, shimmering and stained with liquid red. I look at Isaac's face. He's smiling at the sight. "Isaac?" I choke out with a gasp. It barely comes out with a whisper. I fall to the bed and my vision turns red.

* * *

><p>I drop the glass in the sink and shut off the water. My hands shake violently as I walk out of the kitchen and back into the living room. Alex has passed out on the couch and I sigh. His head hangs back and he softly snores in his intoxication. I dial Alex's number and wait for Alisson to pick up.<p>

"Hello?" She asks with exhaustion. "Who is this?" She rubs her eyes and looks at me.

"Alisson. It's Ondrea." I state as I fold my arms across my chest.

"Oh." She replies with a groan. "What do you want?"

"Alex is here. You need to come and get him." I state in an authoritative tone. "He's drunk."

"Why should I care if he's there?" Alisson argues. "He's supposed to be meeting up with you anyways, right?"

I walk over to the table and grab a cigarette. I light it and nod. "Yes, but he's your husband. He should be at home with you."

Alisson pauses and shakes her head. She glares at me with hatred and purses her lips. "He's with you all the time. Why doesn't he move in with you?"

"Because that's not the way this works and you know it." I explain.

Alisson nods slowly and sits up. "Why can't you find your own man?" She mutters. I smirk at what she's implying and shrug. "I had one."

"Oh that's right. What happened to him?" Alisson scoffs. "That's right he left you. Shame that."

I exhale in exasperation and lower my voice. "Are you going to get him or not?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be over there in a minute." She snaps before turning off the link.

"You didn't have to call her." Alex states with a groan. I jump at the sound of his voice and look at him.

"You aren't supposed to be here in the first place." I protest. "Go home to your wife." I look at the clock and sigh. "I'll see you in an hour for work, alright?"

Alex sighs and rubs the sleep from his eyes. He stands up and looks at me. "You are a good honest woman, Ondrea." He smiles faintly and starts for the door. He opens it and turns back to me. "Sorry Ali was being a bitch to you."

I shrug. "Don't worry about it."

He walks out and closes the door behind him. I lean back on the couch and greet the loneliness with open arms. It is something that I have become accustomed to as of late. Michaela has stayed with Lisa for three months now at her behest because of work and now finally I was going to see her and pray that she doesn't face what I have with her own life.

* * *

><p>The tram car squeals along the tracks as we make our way towards the docking area of the Sprawl. I lean over towards Alex and bump him. He grunts and looks up at me. His expression is one of nausea and pain. I point out the window and at the large ship silhouette in the distance.<p>

"There it is." I grumble with a lack of enthusiasm. "Not too much longer now."

"How are we supposed to find the core in something that massive?" Alex asks. "Do those CEC grunts even know what they are looking for?"

"We'll find it. The sooner we do the sooner we can get back to our lives." I state as I stand up. I look down at the engineer's gear I'm wearing and shake my head. It had been so long since I had to wear that get up that I had forgotten how heavy it was. "Did you take your anti-nausea medication? Some of the ship is probably going to be without artificial gravity."

"Thanks for reminding me of that." He groans. "I hate zee-gee."

I chuckle and sit back down next to him. "It isn't that bad. What's bad is being in the vacuum of space with limited oxygen supplies."

He glares at me and scowls. "Well aren't you just the most helpful person to put things in a positive light?"

"I'm glad you like it." I grin. I watch as we draw near and come to a stop. Instantly butterflies appear in my stomach and I'm overtaken by my own case of nausea. I place my hand on Alex's knee and stand up. "You coming?"

He shakes his head and looks down at his feet. "I'll be there in a minute."

The door swishes open and I step onto the platform. The two CEC engineers we are supposed to meet are standing there talking amongst themselves. They look over at me and approach in long strides.

"Well, Ondrea Markum it's been a long time." The engineer beams.

"It has Brophy." I agree and shake his hand. "What the hell are you doing here on the Sprawl?"

"Probably the same reason you are here." He states with a frown. "I heard you were stationed aboard the Ishimura."

I shake my head and hesitate. "Once. A long time ago."

"It's a fucking shame what happened here." Brophy states with sadness. The other engineer clears his throat and Brophy looks at him. "Oh damn it sorry, this is Matthew Tatum."

I shake his hand and nod. "So, CEC is doing a final death count?"

"Something like that." Matthew interjects. "They want to know how bad the damage is to get an estimate on how much repairs are going to cost."

"We were also wondering why EarthGov would be involving itself in a CEC matter?" Brophy questions as he looks behind me. "We heard it was massive equipment failure."

"I'm not at liberty to say." I say. I turn around and see Alex stumbling out of the tram door. "This is Doctor Alex Grant." Alex looked at the two engineers and smiles faintly.

"Aren't you a doctor too as well?" Matthew asks.

"Yup." I answer. I reach into my belt sachel and pull out a cigarette. I look up at the hull of the Ishimura and a veil of dread falls over me. "We should probably get this started soon."

"It's a fucking shame that you aren't with CEC anymore. We could use a good engineer." Brophy remarks as we start to walk down the ramp. "To be honest with you, I thought your last stint was on the Ishimura about the time this incident took place."

I stop dead in my tracks and my heart begins to race. "No. I was called away shortly before everything happened." I frown and start walking again. "I thought they were going to decommission the old girl after its last planet crack?"

Brophy chuckles and shakes his head. Without missing a beat he says, "That's CEC for you. Turn a disaster into a money maker."

We reach the airlock to the ship and wait as Brophy punches in the security code. I flick my cigarette and sigh. I never wanted to be on this damn ship again and here I am standing at the gateway to hell- again. Brophy turns back to us. "We've turned off all artificial gravity generators and the ventilation systems that pump oxygen are offline." He looks over at me with a smirk. "You still remember your zee-gee training?"

I nod and smile. "How could I forget?"

"Well, alright then." Brophy chimes. I look at Alex and my heart sinks. He fiddles with his suit and looks at me perplexed as to how to make it work.

"It'll be alright." I whisper to him as I press the button on his suit. "Just stay with us and you'll be fine."

I put the helmet up on my suit and walk through the airlock. With all the free oxygen I have in my suit I hold my breath still. My lungs burn as I slowly release it. Alex grabs my arm and I turn to him.

"You were CEC?" He questions. His helmet glows brightly as if his eyes were shining at me.

"Don't worry about it." I snap as I turn back to continue the two engineers. Alex's grip on my arm tenses and I look back at him. "It's not a big deal."

"How can you be so sure?" Alex argues. "We are on a ship where a lot of people died. Not just the main crew but the emergency repair crew that was dispatched to find the problem when this fucking ship went dark. Clarke was the only to make it out and look what happened to him."

"Shut up!" I hiss. "You're thinking about this too hard, Alex."

"You two coming or not?" Brophy calls from down the hallway.

We both look at him quickly and state in unison, "Yeah."

* * *

><p>I know exactly how Alex feels, but damn it I can't scream that Isaac was the only one to make it out alive. This sickening déjà vu that I've stepped into causes shivers to run down my spine. I look up into the huge expanse of the flight deck. Nothing has changed. Blood spatters and scorch marks mar the metal of the catwalk. <em>Where are the bodies? The necromorphs?<em>

We slowly walk our way to where the flight lounge is and I look around. I can recount every moment of my stay here as clearly as the day it happened.

"_Keep him safe." Nicole whispered in my ears. _He voice echoed away and I gasp_. "But whatever you do, don't be seen."_

"_I liked you, Ondrea. I always liked you." _Chris's voice rings full of sadness_._

"_Isaac_-" My voice rings in my head_. "Make us whole, Isaac."_

"Hey!" Alex jostles me. I blink heavily and notice the three men staring at me. "Are you alright?"

I nod slowly and look at Brophy who is frowning. "It's a sad day for all of us, Ondrea."

"Revisiting dead haunts isn't something that I would consider a reunion of sorts." I grumble. Brophy snorts approvingly and turns back to hacking the panel on the door.

"Weren't your parents stationed aboard here?" Matthew asks with concern dripping from his words.

"Yeah." I answer and my heart sinks. "They were."

"Your parents were good people, Ondrea." Brophy states without looking at me. "CEC lost two of the three best people I ever worked with." The door buzzes and screeches open. _"Well, Ondrea, welcome home." His voice morphing into a guttural growl._

"_It's good to back." I whisper half-heartedly in my mind._

I look over at Alex and start into the darkness of the lounge. My heavy boots rattle me to my core with each step. Paranoia seeps in with cataclysmic waves. I'm expecting to be tore apart be something lurking in the darkness, but nothing comes. There are no red eyes, no raspy breathing. Not even the click and slither of weaponized limbs.

"Before you go, take this." Brophy stops me and places something in my hand. I look down at it and stare.

"It's a plasma cutter." I remark with a smirk.

"You might need it on your way to the computer core." Brophy acknowledges my amusement with a chuckle.

"Here's hoping I don't need it at all." I snap inadvertently in defense. I look Brophy in the eye for a second and ire fills me. "Sorry." I mutter softly.

"Don't worry about it, kiddo." Brophy assures me put his hand on my shoulder. "You two better get to the core. We'll meet up with you in an hour."

I turn to Alex and nod in the direction of the door. "Let's go." I order. "Mind the bodies." I joke with a sickening chuckle.

I hit the panel to the door and follow Alex through.

_Welcome to the belly of the beast. May whatever you pray to have mercy on your soul…_


	4. Here We are at the Start

The hallways are illuminated in florescent blue. What marking of blood from trails and writing were glowing black in its demonic ways. I hold the plasma cutter at my side, gripping it tightly in my hand. Corpses in body bags lay on the floor in elongated lines along the wall. I look at the signs hanging above us. The necrotic fleshy tissue hangs from it; withered and dying. I open the door to the science lab and stop. Alex, who is surveying the scene for himself runs into my back and I gasp turning on him quickly. I point the plasma cutter at him and tremble.

He throws his hands up and takes a step back. "Ondrea, it's me."

I slowly put the cutter down and chuckle softly. "I'm sorry."

Alex walks passed me and shudders. "It's alright. I don't like the feel of this place either." He turns back to the scene in the room; still frozen in time and begins walking along the blood tainted tables. "What these people went through must have been horrible."

I follow him in and nod_. If only you knew_. "Yeah, it's a tragedy. So many people." My voice drifts off as my eyes catch sight of shadows moving in the distance. I start towards them, unsure of what is lurking in the darkness but the curiosity that I have overrides my instincts.

"Ondrea?" Alex calls to me. He starts towards me and I put my hand up to stop him. I shake my head and he freezes. "What is it?"

I walk closer and pull the cloth from the wall. "It's a door." I mutter to him.

"A door?" Alex questions. "To where?"

I pull up the schematics for the ship and zero in on our location. "It's another way into the med labs."

Alex walks up to me and looks at the map briefly before hitting the panel. The door shudders open and the chasm of darkness opens up. The whispering that I've held off for three years returns as loudly as it had then. Alex starts into the dark and I grab his arm. "Don't." I warn. "Not that way."

He looks at me and freezes. "Why? What's that way?"

"N-N-Nothing" I stutter out. My head pounds as I let go of him. "It's just going to take us in the opposite direction that we need to go." I turn to leave the science lab when I hear laughing in the distance. I sigh and smile. It all seems so convenient now. It is more of a welcome home for me, but where is everything that creeps along the darkness? I don't know if it's here or if it's watching, but there is definitely a residue left over from it all.

* * *

><p>"How goes the computer work?" Brophy asks over the comm link. It had been four hours and it is definitely slow going given how badly the module had been damaged. I stand there clicking buttons and I glance over the console at Alex and he's staring at me.<p>

"We're alright. How about yourself?" I ask as I flip a switch. The machine whirrs to life and I smile. Alex links the core with our equipment and takes a breath abruptly. I look over at him wondering why he'd given such a startled reaction. A load of static comes over my headset and shut the system down all together. "What's wrong?" I ask as I resume decoding the programs locked within.

"I just-" Alex starts to say but then shakes it off. "It's nothing. I'm just tired."

I snort at his response. "Of course you should be tired. You were over at my place at all hours of the night." I move the screen at the top towards me. The intricate lines of coding become blurred with that invasive alien text that I had seen so many times before. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Now is not the time to be cracking over the bitter insanity that this place has meant for me.

"Isn't Michaela and Lisa supposed to be here today?" Alex snaps suddenly. I open my eyes and remember that, yes today is the day. "The data stream is moving slowly. Is it something on your end?" I ask, trying to change the topic. Alex looks at his screen and shakes his head.

"Everything looks good from over here. Why?" Alex answers. There is a long silence between us and yet it was louder than anything else I'd heard in all of my life. I lean down and pull the panel off the base to check the connection from the drive section to the output.

"Fuck." I mutter. The wires are blown and frayed. I stick my hand into the tendrils of wires and yank hard blowing the connection all together.

"Why the fuck did you do that?" Alex yells. He walks over to me and looks inside. "Fuck."

"Yeah." I whisper softly. "This thing was torn to shit before we got here and recently." The thoughts of who could have possibly been in here were astronomically larger than all the other thoughts that I could have conceived. Maybe it was a cover up from CEC or maybe- _Kendra_. That psychotic bitch did it. Figures it would be her. This has the ear marks of sabotage written all over it. So EarthGov was trying to cover its tracks about the location and discovery of the Marker. Well, will wonders never cease? I love a good cover up as much as the next person, but it bares the question- why?

Why would Tiedemann ask us to come here if he didn't already know in the first place? What does he know? His motivations are obscured by excuses of the upper brass wanting "x" or "y" done because of some idealistic thought process. Fucking governments don't know when to not put their fucking fingers in every pie that comes near them.

"You're saying it's been tampered with?" Alex asks. He pulls the collar of his suit and starts pacing. After several minutes he stops and looks around. "Did it get darker in here?" I pull the jack from the computer and look around as well.

"Maybe." I answer. "Probably blew some secondary connection when I pulled the plug." I lean against the console and realize that he's right. It's definitely darker. The shadows have closed in in a very unnatural sense. But I can't let on to him that I notice it. That would be a cataclysmic shitstorm to deal with. "You alright?"

"No." Alex glumly answers. He picks up his pack and starts to leave the core. "There's just something going on and I don't like it." I leave my gear where it is figuring that there would be no point in bringing it back. If Tiedemann wants it so bad he can bring his ass here and collect it himself. I don't care if it's worth millions of dollars. It ain't going to matter in a little while. We walk down the hallway back to the platform and Alex abruptly stops. He drops his pack and turns to me. "Why are we even here? We're psych doctors not technicians."

"I don't know." I answer. We trudge along the dark passages towards the platform when Alex comes to an abrupt stop. He looks down the corridor and back at me. He shoves me up against the wall and rips the plasma cutter out of my hand. I turn to see what he's pointing at, but my vision blurs from the crack to the head. He starts firing into the darkness repeatedly. "Alex, stop!" I scream. I shove his arm to the floor and he inadvertently squeezes off the trigger. It comes within feet of hitting my foot. I scowl and rip the plasma cutter from his hand. He's gasping and obviously in terror. I throw the weapon down the hallway in the direction we had come from and yelp, "What the fuck are you doing?"

I run down the hallway, putting space between Alex and me and look for the reason that startled Alex. I walk to the intersection and trip over something in the dark. I gasp loudly as if I have sucked all the available air out of my suit.

"Ondrea?" The husky voice of Brophy comes through my helmet with a torrent of obvious pain. I can barely make him out in the dim light but he grabs for me still and latches to my leg with his burly, gloved hands. I'm petrified with fear and I sink to the floor next to him. "Where's the light? Why is it so dark in here?" He coughs violently and rests his head back down on the floor.

"Light?" I ask staring into the black. "What light?"

"There was an emergency flood light that we had installed." Brophy chokes out. The glow from his helmet moves from side to side as if he was looking for it with his remaining energy.

"Don't worry about the damn light." I snap. "We need to get you out of here. Find you a doctor." I look around to see if Matthews is around. "Why were you walking around in the dark; you stupid idiot?" I croak out trying to maintain my emotions.

"There's something here, Ondrea." Brophy groans. "You need to get out of here." I hear a gunshot go off and jolt Brophy again. He flinches and gasps before going limp. I look up and see Alex pointing a gun at me.

"Alex?" I question letting the soft grip of Brophy's hand fall to the floor and stand to meet his gaze. He follows me with the barrel pointed at me. "What are you doing?" I walk up to Alex and feel him press the gun into my chest. He stares at me without a word. "Tiedemann's special orders to you, huh?" His hand trembles violently and his ragged breathing is a defining mark that my question had touched a nerve for me. I look down at the gun and see his finger on the trigger. "So do it, Alex." I bark. I hang my head awaiting the sudden impact of the projectile penetrating my suit straight into me.

"Ondrea-" Alex stammers. His confidence fades away and his grip loosens. "It's something that has to be done." He shakes off his doubt and grabs his head with his free hand. "EarthGov demands this."

"Demands what? The execution of the engineers here? Of me? What?" I question taking a step towards him. He follows my lead and takes a step back. "You can't do this, Alex."

"You are my friend." Alex mutters, his wrist becomes tense and his finger falls back to the trigger. "But I can't have you walking away from this either." I grab his gun hand and twist. I sweep his leg out from him and slam him to the floor onto his back. I slip the gun from his fingers and point the gun at his face.

"Bullshit." I mutter under my breath. "You seriously think you can shoot me?" I look at the gun for a minute and check the loadout on it. "A cover up is one thing, but you killed someone in cold blood. This isn't you?"

"And holding a gun to someone's head is something you would do, Ondrea?" Alex scoffs. He starts to sit up and I place my boot on his chest. "This isn't you either?"

"You don't know a fucking thing about me." I hiss. I look down the hallway and see beady red eyes staring at us. The move from side to side slowly and grow closer with each second that passes. I take my foot off of Alex and point down the hallway drawing Alex's attention to what I see. "You've never had to out run one of those, have you?"

Alex swallows hard and shakes his head. "What the hell is that?" He stammers out in terror. He scurries to his feet and starts to flee.

I grab his arm and squeeze. "That is what lurks in the dark. That is what you've attracted here." I yank on his arm and start to pull him away. "And these things love flesh blood." We reach the platform out of breath and scared. He more than me, but I feel the fear just as much, bottled deep down inside. "I was insane enough to think that I had gotten away from this nightmare the first time around." I answer as I pull Alex close to me. My helmet collides into his and he freezes. "You weren't here, Alex. You didn't see. Unless you've been in that situation before, don't you fucking judge me."

"First time around?" His voice breathy and full of fear as he interrogates my words. "What do you mean by that?"

"It's nothing." I answer gasping for breath. My lungs scream and my muscles ache beyond description.

* * *

><p>"How are we going to explain this to Tiedemann?" Alex asks as we walk back towards the air lock. "He's not going to believe us. And what about you? You should be dead."<p>

I punch in the code for the airlock and walk through. "Tiedemann isn't going to believe us. It's just a warning. If we can talk some sense into him then even better, but I highly doubt he'll listen to reason." Alex walks in and we wait for decontamination and the hiss of the oxygen to hit the small hold. "As for me, there's not much left for me. I've got to get to Lisa and tell them to go back to earth."

The door opens up and I put my helmet down and Alex does the same. His hair is matted to his face with sweat; his eyes dart around and he sighs swishing the sweat that had built up in his hair. "I need to get in contact with Ali." He walks passed me and heads back to the tram platform.

"Alex." I call to him. I take out a cigarette and light it. "Tiedemann first. If he can contain the problem before it spreads then there will be no need to start a panic over nothing."

"Do what you want, Ondrea." Alex states as he gets on the tram. He holds the door and I walk in with him. "You might be right, but-"

I put my hand on his knee and smile. "I'm probably wrong. We've both got a lot to lose if this all goes to hell."

"I know." Alex responds with a sigh. He slouches on the bench and closes his eyes. "How bad is this going to be if it does?" I shoot him a look of contempt. "You seem to know more about what's to come if the shit hits the fan than anyone else."

"Bad." I mutter. "Unlike anything you've ever seen. And it'll happen quickly." I take a drag off of my cigarette. "Are you going to report me?"

Alex looks up at me and shakes his head. "No, what would be the point? Tiedemann will do to you what he's done to Stross and Clarke and I don't know if I could live with that."

I laugh out loud at his comment without a care. "Do I look insane to you? Babbling about the things that I've done wrong?" I kick my feet out in front of me and lean back against the bench folding my arms across my chest. "No, Alex. There's definitely something different about me compared to them."

"Who know?" Alex grumbles. "If I am to believe you about all of this, what about Isaac?"

I close my eyes and exhale. "What about Isaac?" I mock. "Isaac is important in the grand scheme of things."

"Are you sure about that?" Alex shoots me a questioning look.

"Trust me, Alex, when I say I know more about a lot of things about what he is and what the hell we are facing." I reply with a snort. "Besides, what do we really know? The necromorphs are on the prowl and technically there isn't a fucking thing we can do about it but get out."

"I'm sorry I tried to kill you." Alex ekes out. "I'm kinda glad I didn't."

I look over at him and sigh. "Me too." I lean forward and hit the link on my suit. A face comes over the screen.

"Ondrea?" Tiedemann asks. He looks at me in shock about my apparent survival from the Ishimura. "How was the expedition?"

"You would know, Hans." I snap. I look down at Alex who is staring up at me. The tension of his face is marred by the slow trickle of sweat and the jagged crack of a frown cut across it. "We need to have a meeting- now."

* * *

><p>Alex and I stand at the head of a table in the conference room still wearing the heavy engineering suits we'd been longing to get out of from the start. We look at each other and then at Tiedemann sitting at the far end of the table. His looks is one of disapproval, but whatever he's disapproving of I do not care. Action needs to take place and hopefully he can wrap his mind around the imminent threat we are now facing.<p>

I clear my throat and sigh. "Sir, we've got a problem."

Tiedemann props his feet on the table and leans back in his chair. "Does this have to do with what's on the ship?" He grins devilishly and looks over at Alex. "What have you told her, Alex?"

"I know enough to realize that this station has lost containment on something that should never have been brought here in the first place." I snap. "I don't need Alex to tell me anything. Any self-sustaining idiot can see that the necromorphs are loose. To what extent I can't say. If they haven't left the Ishimura yet, they will be soon. And you know exactly where they are going to come-"

Tiedemann puts his hand up and chuckles. "Doctor Markum, we have the tightest facility here on the Sprawl. If what you say is true, then action needs to take place."

"Good. We need to evacuate immediately and get sweeper teams to get in to contain the situation." I state. I light a cigarette and blow the smoke out abruptly.

"If it gets to that point we'll deal with it." Tiedemann explains. "We already have a plan in place in the event of catastrophic failure. We can't initiate those procedures in the off chance of a perceived threat."

"Sir, I don't think you understand." Alex interjects. "It's not a perceived threat. We saw it."

Tiedemann walks around the table and joins us. "Look, Doctors, your job is done." He places his hand on Alex's shoulder and smiles. "Go back to the psych ward and handle what you were hired to handle."

We look at the door to the conference room and see two armed guards standing there waiting for us to be led out.

"Let's go, Alex." I press as I grab his arm. "We should get back to work."

We start for the door when Tiedemann calls. "Good to see you weren't harmed, Doctor Markum."

I spin around and glare. "Fuck you, Tiedemann. This isn't the last time you see me."

Tiedemann smiles as I get an abrupt shove towards the door. "I highly doubt that."

We walk out of the conference room and head for the elevator when a woman comes running up to us. Her blond hair wrapped in a bun and conservative appearance- an obvious façade to hide her actual intent.

"Doctor Markum?" The woman asks. "We need to speak in private."

"I'll catch you later, Ondrea." Alex states as he steps on to the elevator. "Have fun with your daughter."

"Shit." I mutter abruptly. I squirm in my gear; aching to take it off. I look at the clock and sigh. "Make it quick."

* * *

><p>Sitting on the observation deck of the defense plaza I look at the magnificent city and the haunting shadow of the Ishimura off in the distance. "What do you need from me?"<p>

"We know of the impending necromorph incursion." The woman says. "We also know that you have in your custody one Isaac Clarke- sole survivor of the Ishimura's outbreak." I look at her with a smirk and nod approvingly. "We need to get him to safety, he's the only one who can stop this and if a strategic retreat is needed then that is what we will do."

"How do you plan on achieving this goal?" I ask looking back out the window. "You're going to be trying to break into a top secret nigh impervious military psych ward. You can't just waltz in and take him yourself."

The blond woman snorts. "We have our ways, Doctor Markum. Wouldn't you want to save your star patient from certain death?"

I glare over at her and frown. "That's not up for discussion."

"Then will you at least do it for the salvation of humankind?" She asks softly.

"Sure." I answer with a shrug. "Get him out of here." My link buzzes unexpectedly and I connect quickly. "Yeah?" I look back at the woman and she is gone.

"Ondrea? Where are you?" Lisa asks.

"I'm at the office. Things have come up." I remark as I start for the elevator.

"Damn it, Ondrea." Lisa barks. "Michaela has been waiting months for this and you don't even have the decency to show up."

"Look, Lisa. I know this is fucked, but you need to get the hell off the station."

She looks at me questioningly and frowns. "What's going on?"

The elevator door opens up and I step off. "I can't explain it to you right now. Just take Michaela and get back on the transport." The link starts to crackle and the signal is intermittent.

"I can't hear… what…." Lisa's voice barely breaks through the fog of white noise.

"Lisa. Just go." I order.

"Ondrea!" Alex yells. He runs up to me out of breath and stops. "We've gotta go."

"What? Why?" I question.

"Lockdown procedures have been activated." The computer states over the PA. "All personnel please remain at your stations until further notice."

"Fuck." I mutter, distressed by the situation. "Lisa?" I look at the video link and she is staring blankly at me. Cold lifeless eyes stare back. "Michaela?" I call out. I hear heavy, sickening breathing and only catch the glimpse of something dart across the screen from behind Lisa. "Come on, Michaela." I beckon her. From off screen I can hear a shriek and the tear of flesh.

"Son of a bitch." Alex grumbles from over my shoulder. "They move fast."

I start to run towards the exit when large emergency doors slam shut.

"Damn it!" I scream. I turn around to hear the sound of multiple boot steps flooding the foyer. "I have to get to my daughter. You son of a bitch." I cry out.

"Hey. We'll find a way to get you out of here." Alex reassures me. I nod slowly and start back towards the security office. "Just be ready when you need to be."

"Thanks, Alex." I sulk. "Looks like you're going to be the one to save the day."

"I wouldn't put my money on it." Alex chortles. "You seem more than capable of doing it yourself."

"Again." I whisper to myself.

"Huh?" Alex asks quickly. He looks at me and I shake my head.

"It's nothing." I remark. "Let's get the hell out of here."


	5. Betrayal in the Darkness

The flashing lights of warning signals swirl around casting its yellow glow in the narrow corridor I pace in. Heavy combat boots thud on the tiles approaching from the west in rapid succession. I bite my nail and peer inside the security office. Alex is talking to a man donned in combat gear with a thick cigar jutting from his lips. A prominent scar runs down his face and his grizzled features were the most defining point on him. He is intimidating to say the least.

I can't hear what's going being said but by both of their postures things are not going as planned. Alex looks over at me and shakes his head in annoyance. I frown and sigh. I try to keep my anger in check when the man turns and looks over at me with disdain. He says nothing but his blackened eyes beckon me in to the office. He points dead at me and fingers me towards him. I cock my head and walk in.

"You're the one Tiedemann told me about." The man growls. His jaw clenches the stalk of wrapped tabacco tightly.

"Uh-huh." I respond. "I guess. What did he say?"

The man turns to his computer and presses a key. The door slides shut behind me and I rapidly turn around and back at him with a glare.

"He says, you and this little pipsqueak aren't to leave the premise." The man blurts out his insult with a snort. "You know procedures, Doctor. We are in a lock down situation. No one is going in or out."

"We've got family out there." Alex argues as he falls in line beside me. "We're willing to risk it, if need be."

"That's not my problem." The man snaps aggressively. His lips disappearing as he frowned. "I'm not going to risk my men for it. And I'm not going against orders." He looks over at me with a smirk and winks casually. "Our orders are simple. Stay and shoot on sight anyone who attempts to leave or enter."

"I-" I start. I fold my arms across my chest waiting for a standoff.

"Get out." The man orders as he opens the door and gestures us to leave.

I stare at him. Our eyes locking in a battle of wills. If only I could snap him in half, manipulate him to my will, but too many witnesses even the one standing beside me made me unable to do anything about it.

"Ondrea?" Alex mutters softly. He grabs my arm and starts me towards the door. I break the threshold with Alex behind me, his hand against my back.

"Doctor Grant." The burly man's thick voice calls from behind us. We turn to see what final insult he has to play. "Can I see you for a minute?"

Alex shoots me a concerned look and I nod for him to go. "I'll see you in a minute."

* * *

><p>"Damn it," I mutter with a cigarette jutting from my lips. I tap a button on the console at the security desk and look at footage of the residential district. Necromorphs prowl the hallways and what few survivors were left appeared to be setting up barricades to slow the creatures down. The slashers would stare into the camera and look up at me. They knew I was watching. It is a feeling that both of us shared. We know of each other's presence, which can be good or bad. If only I can get the hell out of here. "Fucking Tiedemann." I type in my security code and a warning screen pops up. <em>Access denied<em>. "What the hell?" I type it in again and the same message appears. "Figures." I exhale.

"Ondrea." Alex snaps from my left. "We need to talk."

I ignore him and continue trying to hack the system. My eyes dart from right to left looking for root commands to break in when Alex slams a pad down on the desk in front of me. I glance at it and up at him. "What about?" I ask sheepishly. Alex looks at the screen and shudders. "If you are worried about what I'm doing, don't be."

"No, Ondrea. This isn't about that." Alex growls. He picks up the pad and slams it into my chest. The force of the impact expels the cigarette from my mouth and it drops to the floor. "What the fuck is this?"

I look at the pad and sigh. My eyebrow perks at it in amusement. "So you found it." I put it down and lean against the desk with a smirk. "It was only a matter time."

"You were there, weren't you?" Alex questions distressed by his discovery. "You aren't going to deny it or say it was someone else?"

I shake my head and chuckle softly. "No. What would be the point?" I look at him and roll my eyes. He glares at me hard. His fists ball up and the quick exchange of thoughts goes through both of us. "Yes, I was there. Yes, I got away. So?"

"I don't get it, Ondrea." Alex spoke harshly. "You couldn't tell me?"

I snort disapprovingly and turn back to the computer. I type for a little bit, waiting for the finale of our conversation. I finish my search and hit a button and the computer chimes approvingly. I look at the security feed and see the psyche ward torn to shreds. Gurneys are overturned and more prowling necromorphs came into view. "What so I could end up like those fools down in psych?" I snicker and a flash of light on the screen catches my attention. My eyes strain through the grainy feed with little gained.

"Still. You could have helped us make great strides towards understanding-" Alex explains.

"Shut up." I order as I keep watching the flash move around. "Someone's in Isaac's cell." I point at the screen. Alex leans down to see and gasps.

"Who is that?" He questions dismayed by the person with his back to us. "Does he know what the hell is going on?"

"Yeah he does." I respond. In the corner of the screen I see movement. The flapping of an infector causes Alex's hand to fall on to my shoulder. "But he doesn't know what's coming up behind him."

"We have to warn him." Alex stammers. He starts to leave and I grab his hand.

"No. This is on him." I hiss with sickening glee. "His job is done. He's got Isaac awake. That's all I care about." I push off the desk and start down the hallway.

"Where are you going?" Alex yells as he tries to keep up with my pace. "We can't just leave." I head back to the security office where the brooding soldier was and smash the panel to the door. Sparks fly and the door slowly squeaks open.

"I'm going, Alex." I snap as I round the desk and rummage through the drawer. I throw files to the floor and my hand hits the grip of a pistol. I pick it up and aim it at Alex. "Give it to me." I order. His eyes grow wide with fear as he violently shakes his head.

"I don't know what you are talking about." He grimaces. I pull the hammer back on the gun. The loud clicking of it locking into place makes him jump fearfully.

"I don't have time for your bullshit, Alex." I bark. "Where is it?" I round the desk, never taking my eyes off of him. "I know he gave it to you? What deal did you make, huh?"

"There was no deal, Ondrea." He pleas sadly.

"Bullshit." I growl. I point the gun over his shoulder and fire. He looks behind him at the bullet impact in the wall and turns back to me. My eyes start to go blurry and my head begins to throb; the all too familiar kind that should have been anticipated given the circumstances. "You have one last chance." I warn him as I pull the hammer back again. "You read my file, Alex. What did it say? Huh?" I press. "What kinda wonderful shit is in there?"

"Fuck." Alex mutters in exasperation. "Alright, Ondrea." He pulls a small chip out of his pocket and hands it to me. "Tiedemann has been keeping tabs on you since you joined."  
>"And?" I question. I slowly start to lower the gun. I nod for the door and he steps out with me following him.<p>

"He knows all about your stint on the Ishimura. The fact you survived with Isaac. Your child. Everything." Alex explains as we walk down the hallway.

"Michaela wasn't a secret to anyone." I interject as we round a corner to Security R&D. "Was that why you were supposed to kill me today?"

"It is." Alex answers softly. "With you out of the way, Michaela could have been used for testing as well. There are trials going on right now that even I didn't know about when it came to the after effects of the Marker."

"So what's your part in this?" I ask sliding a pass key into the slot. The door swishes open and the nearly empty room's emergency lighting flickers on. We walk to the far side of the room and I insert the chip into the receiver.

"I was going to be made lead researcher for it." Alex remarks. I glare at him and push him aside. "Michaela would have been well taken care of. I think I owe you that much."

"No. Alex." I start as I step into the cylindrical machine. "You owe me much more than that." I fire a round into his leg. He screams and grabs his thigh in pain. Within seconds the machine engulfs me in white light. The muffled screams resonate within the confined space and before he can get out the words "you bitch" I walk back out decked in combat armor.

"You can't take that. They don't even know if it works." Alex snaps.

"It doesn't really matter now, does it?" I ask plaintively. "I need to find Michaela and get Isaac the hell out of here. And you are going to help me." I walk up to one of the tables and grab a rifle off the table and five clips of prototype explosive rounds. "There's one thing I learned in my time aboard the Ishimura that you should take well to heart." Alex looks at me confused. The blood slowly streams down his pant leg and he hobbles up to me. "I can and will kill you if you don't listen to me."

"That's not possible." Alex argues through clenched teeth.

"Oh, Alex." I chortle. I stop abruptly when a strong pressure to my chest emerges. I close my eyes and can see myself looking down at Isaac. He's thrashing around with a slasher clawing at him. He scoots on his back through a door and it slams shut on the monsters head. I sneer approvingly and open my eyes. I look at Alex and his mouth gapes open.

"Your-" Alex stutters. "You-"

"Yes, yes, I know." I walk up to a monitor hanging on the wall and bring it to life. On the screen stands Isaac scrambling to his feet. "Watch." Alex watches as a man grabs him.

"Hey, man- take it easy." Isaac gasps. He struggles under the familiar man's death grip. I turn my back to the screen and listen to the goings on behind me.

"It's you, Isaac." The man states. "This is all going to hell."

"Don't. Think about this." Isaac argues. The man quickly moves and Isaac gasps again as the insane and desperate person releases his bound arms with a scalpel.

"What is this?" Alex asks as he looks from me to the screen and back again. I thumb back to the TV and sigh.

"We're all going to pay for what we did to you, Isaac." I state. My heart sinks with the truth, that in fact we all were going to get it even I in the end. At the same time the man on the screen says the same thing in unison. I raise my hand to my throat and swiftly bring it across. Alex watches in horror as the man slits his throat and falls to the floor.

"You killed him?" Alex asks. "Why?"

"Two reasons." I start as I make my way to the door. "An example." Alex hobbles with me down the hall and I look over at him with a smirk as I place a cigarette in my mouth. "And I didn't like the way he held his interrogations." We walk back to the elevators in the foyer and stop. The small contingent of troops looks over at me and I smile and wave. I glare at Alex and harshly whisper to him, "I don't care if Tiedemann knows who or what I am, but he isn't going to stop me and for all of his knowledge he best knows to stay out of my way."

"He doesn't know about what you can do, Ondrea." Alex hisses. He looks at the armed men and then side to side. "What kind of monster have you become yourself?"

I turn to the panel for the elevator and press the button. The guards start to approach with their weapons raised. "I don't know what I am or how I ended up this way, nor do I care really at this point. I care about that child lost among the dead and Isaac." I take step backwards on to the elevator and sneer. "And by the way," I start as I load a clip into the rifle and pull the slide back to cock it. "You won't be able to use the elevator. The virus will have wiped away any trace of me from the system and you can tell Tiedemann and EarthGov to go fuck themselves." I look over Alex's shoulder and frown. "You should also move." The door starts to slide shut and Alex steps out of the way. I slam into the wall and a hail storm of bullets fly into the car at blinding speed. The door shuts and I give a sigh of relief. I close my eyes and my head falls back.

"So back at it again?" Chris's voice speaks beside me. "I thought you were all grown up."

"I was wondering when you were going to show up again." I mutter with a groan.

"Thought you could get rid of me that easily huh?" Chris laughs heartily. "So-"  
>I look over at him and smile. He still looks the same. Still in his engineer's suit still carrying that heavy after shave and still having that boyish charm that would have swept me off of my feet if times were different. "It's been too long, Chris." I throw my arms around him and squeeze. "Where's Nicole?"<p>

Chris frowns and sighs. "She's not too happy with the way you two parted."

"Figures." I snort as I light my cigarette.

"You aren't supposed to smoke in here." Chris protests as he points at a sign on the wall.

"Fuck it." I mumble as I light my cigarette and take a long hard drag off of it. "Where have you been? It's been three years."

"Around." Chris answers. "I was never too far off and whatever is going on here seems to of unlocked that part of your brain again."

"Well, for what it's worth, it's good to have you back." I respond with a smile. "In some form anyway."

"Yeah, I'm so delighted. Thanks for pulling me back into this shitty situation." His tone dripping in sarcasm.

"Hey I'm still doing my job, ain't I?" I ask slugging him in the shoulder playfully.

"Protecting Isaac?" Chris questions. I nod. "Yeah, you are but be forewarned this happy ending your planning isn't going to end the way you think it is."

"Oh yea; more cryptic gibberish." I remark with a sigh. "Can't get enough of that."

The door slides open to a black hallway. A wall of rank death hits me dead in the face. The smell of blood, death and entrails was like a flashback to my day in hell. I take my first step out and Chris grabs my arm abruptly. "I'm serious, Drea. What are you going to tell him when you see him?"

"I don't know." I snap as I wrench my arm out of his grasp. "I'll think of something. For fuck sakes, I doubt he remembers me because of the cocktail of drugs I've had ordered on him and the block I've put in place."

"You can't hide it from him forever." Chris states as he steps up beside me and looks into the darkness. "Seems so familiar, doesn't it?"

"Shhh." I whisper as I listen to the sounds around me. The clanging of talons in the ducts above me ring all too familiar in the deep corridor. "There's more here in the dark than on the Ishimura and I need to get to Isaac." I look at Chris and shake my head in discontent. "How in the hell am I going to get to him?" I pull up the schematics for the suit and look it over.

"Any interesting goodies installed on the prototype?" Chris asks.

"Yeah." I press a three button sequence and I hear Isaac's breathing ragged and straining for breath.

"I'm trying." He presses to the man screaming in the background. I hold my breath as I listen in to the chaos going on around him.

"I know where he's at." I state as I start to walk. "And I know what's coming for him and who's helping him."

"That's an awful lot knowledge for someone like you." Chris jabs as we walk. "What are you going to do about the woman?"

"I already have it set up." I answer as I open a door at the end of the hall onto a veranda. "Alex should know better by now to not cross me."

"Yeah that little show you put on really hit the spot." Alex agrees with a chuckle. "I thought he was going to shit himself."

I walk to the railing and look down. The floor below is empty. There is no movement and the last chime of the tram starts to ring. "I'm pretty sure he did." I leap over the railing and hit the ground below and jog to the tram car. Chris is already within it with a grin beaming across his face.

"Quite nimble when necessary?" Chris asks with amusement.

"Shut up, Chris." I snap as I press the button to the residential section of the Sprawl. "This was all your doing in the first place." The door slides shut and jolts to life.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Chris denies waving me off. I glare at him accusingly and he shrugs. "Even if I had something to do with it, you seemed to manage fairly well."

I look out the window and watch the various areas flash by in rapid succession. They blur together as one befuddled mess of dimming light and encroaching darkness. The door swishes open and I walk onto the platform. Bodies are strewn wall to wall as the scene is laid out before me. To the left of me I hear the thudding clawed footsteps of a necromorph. I turn to point and fire at it when from out of nowhere I hear a shot being squeezed off. The necromorph rears its head back and yowls as it topples to the ground. I take a step back ready to fire when a second shot is discharged and the necromorph grows still.

I look questioningly in the direction of the fire and I smile. Looking over the guardrail, directly at me is Isaac. He slowly lowers his gun and stares. I start towards him when the door to the tram slams shut.

"Sorry, Doctor Markum, you shouldn't have left. I was willing to forgive the lies of omission, but disregarded a direct order." Tiedemann snaps over the comm. "I'm initiating a lock down immediately on all tram systems. There is no way for you or Isaac to get out."

"Fuck you, Tiedemann." I growl as I start walking. I look back at Isaac and he's walking around towards the entrance to the Church of Unitology. "Where the hell is he going?"

"I don't know." Chris answers. He places my hand on my shoulder. "He looks fucked up enough as it is without our help."

"I can't just let him go in there alone." I state as I start towards the church. I hear a soft giggling and I turn around and my head begins to be wracked by pain. I run to the entrance of the church and the door slides shut. I feverishly bang on the door in frustration. My hands begin to throb and I can feel the small cracks and injuries start to form on them.

"Doctor Markum?" The woman from before's voice comes over my comm link. A small red light flashes on my wrist and I press it. Staring back at me is the blonde woman from before clear as day. She smiles and nods when she notices that I am alive.

"Yeah?" I question looking at Chris.

"You will have realized by now that we have locked you out. Our apologies." She grins. "We will no longer need your services. Isaac will be safe with us and will lead us to our transcendence."

"Unitology, huh?" I snap. "Cram your apologies." I nod to Chris and we start walking towards a door that is ajar. "You think I didn't know you weren't one?"

"It doesn't matter what you think." She remarks. "You've helped us greatly and we hope that you find peace in your evolution." The comm goes dead and I shudder.

"It can't possibly be that bad." Chris interjects with a smirk. I pry open the door and start into the narrow hallway. "Where are you going?"

I look back at Chris with my own smart ass smile and state, "After Isaac."


End file.
